Engaged Church

Engaged can mean many different things. A quick google search returns busy, occupied; having formally agreed to marry; involved in activity. Normally when we hear the term engaged we first think of a young couple agreeing to join in marriage. What do you think of when you hear that a church is engaged in ministry? Are they busy? Are they occupied with ministry? Are they involved in ministry?

The Millennial Generation is yearning for a church that is engaged. That sounds good, but what does it really mean. Are they, simply looking for a church that has a full bulletin board of events or is there something else?

To me, there is a difference between a busy church and a church that is engaged. A church can be busy and not be engaged. Sometimes we can get real busy with programs that cater to those who are already members of the church and we disguise this as community engagement when in reality we are only doing it to please existing members. We all have those pet projects we love and support but if there is no outreach then is it really an engagement? I think a great analogy for an engaged church is to look at its relationship with the community it serves. An engaged couple is in the final steps of preparing to become one. They each still have their own lives and families, they have not become one just yet but they are closely involved in each other’s lives. The same should be said for a church that is engaged in its community. An engaged church should be involved in the community. It should be reaching out not serving to the needs of those already there. I have always said, I think you can come to church for one of two reasons, you are either there to be served or to serve others. Once you become a Christian and are a member of the church your focus should be serving others.

Just because the local 4th of July parade is not a religious event does not mean that you cannot use it for outreach and to engage the community. Does your town have an annual block party, then that is a great opportunity for your church to get engaged. An engaged church is always looking for the correct way to insert themselves into community events. When your neighbors see you as a regular participating member of the community then it is much easier for them to visit their church because they already feel like they know you.

If no one in your community has heard of your church then it might be time to reconsider your approach to outreach and engagement. During my time working with Chaplains in the Army nothing irritated me more than meeting a Soldier who could not tell me who their Chaplain was. That was not the Soldier’s fault, it was the Chaplain’s. Each unit has one Chaplain and if he is not engaging with his Soldier’s then they do not know him or the ways that he can help them.

“So I thought engagement was only for bigger churches, we are too small for that to work”. Unfortunately, this is a statement that many small churches make and they depend on family growth to sustain their church growth. This does not work because statistics say more and more young adults are leaving the church so the declining birth rate plus young adults leaving the church will leave these churches shrinking over time. It happens gradually and you don’t notice that you went from 80 to 75 this year and 72 the next year and 68 the next and so on and on but eventually you look up and over 10 years you have went from a strong group of 80 to a struggling group of 45.

The day and age of seeker friendly mega-churches is going away and young adults are looking to be engaged, not busy, but engaged. They want to reach out and do more, they want to see the Gospel in action. They are looking for a community church so they can serve locally and as the local community church must be engaged to survive.

So, how can a small church be engaged?

The hard truth is that a small church cannot mirror a big church. It just will not work out for them. A small church has to engage in a way that works for them.

Here are some things that might help you get engaged:

Does your community have a homeless community? If so, find a shelter that will let you volunteer to come serve dinner. This is a cost efficient way to reach out to those who are hurting and can open your doors to see some true growth in Christ.

As a church member host a Backyard BBQ at your house and invite your neighbors who may not know about your church. If your neighborhood is full of families with kids then do this right before VBS registration opens. This backyard BBQ does not have to be over-the-top spiritual, but invite your pastor or another church leader and let them bless the food and introduce them to your neighbors and let the conversation happen naturally. If you do, take the right before VBS route, invite the VBS Director so they can talk to some of the parents about what VBS has to offer.

Sponsor a clothes drive or a community yard sale. These usually work great in smaller neighborhoods and build a great sense of community between neighbors.

Hand out invite cards at the local parade or 4th of July fireworks.

A ministry of presence goes a long way. Put on a church t-shirt and just be there at community events. Let people see your shirt and ask about your church.

As a church member find something, an event, a cause, a rally, something you are passionate about and think about how you can help your church get engaged in that one thing. Use your passion to become an engaged church member in your community.

Another key is to know your community. If your neighborhood is mostly Senior Citizens then putting up flyers for your youth program might not be the most effective outreach. Focus on the demographics that are in your neighborhood and allow your ministry to gradually grow outside the community.

I am not sure I put this in a blog or not yet, but I recently saw a quote that said “98% of Pastoral Care is having someone that cares. That someone does not have to be the pastor”. If you want to see your church get engaged then you have to be willing to do your part. It all cannot fall on the Pastor’s shoulders.